Door check



.March 23, 1937. R. c. JACOBS DOOR CHECK Filed July 29, 1955 PatentedMar. 23, 1937 DOOR CHECK Rex C. Jacobs, Detroit, Mich., assignor toShelving' and Parts Manufacturini Detroit, Mich., a corporation oi iCorporation, chigan Application July 29, 1935, Serial No. 33,636

'2 Claims.

The present invention pertains to door checks adapted for use lncombination with automobile doors and pertains more particularly to doorchecks such as disclosed in my co-pending ap plications Serial No,23,352 filed May 25, 1935 and Serial No. 33,637, filed July 29, 1935,which have now matured into Patents Nos. 2,039,960 and 2,039,961respectively, both dated May 5, 1936.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide means forlimiting swinging move-- ment of an automobile door with respect to anautomobile body, the checking means being in thenature of a cushioningdevice so as to avoid an abrupt checking action and the stresses andstrains to which the door and its supports are subjected when the dooris abruptly checked.

The present check is formed of a strap-like blank of spring metal andhas one end provided with a loop through which a pin is passed, the pinbeing supported in brackets on the door or on the door jamb, theparticular illustration here presented illustrating the brackets and pinas being on the door. The other end of the strap member is bent forengagement with a retainer element supported in the door jamb. the bentformation of the strap being such that it provides the desiredcushioning action above referred to. 'I'hese structural features arecommon to the structure shown in my Patent No. 2,039,960 referred toabove and in one respect this application is an improvement thereon.Fatigue tests have indicated that the present type of door check breaksat substantially the point Where the strap member is bent to start theformation of the loop and this invention has as an important object toreinforce the loop formation and to thus increase the useful life ofsuch door checks.

With the above and other ends in view the invention is more fullydisclosed with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1is a cross section illustrating the door check in assembled relationwith a door and door jamb;

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating other stages in the operation ofthe check;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the door check prior to assembly in a door;

o Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation illustrating a detail, .and Fig. 5is a section illustrating another detail.

Like characters of :reference are employed throughout to designatecorresponding parts.

The numeral I designates a door jamb haw ing an opening 2 formedtherein. Secured to the inner surface of the door jamb I and coveringthe opening 2 is a socket member 3. 'Ihe rear wall 4 is angularlydisposed with respect to the plane of the door jamb I and is providedwith an aperture 5. A door 6 is hingedly supported with respect to thejamb I by a hinge 1. The door 6 is provided with a pair of spaced apartlugs 8 supporting a pin 9, one of the lugs being illustrated in thedrawing.

The above described construction constitutes a support for the presentdoor check which is formed by bending a strap-like blank of spring metalto the desired shape. The strap-like blank is bent to provide a loop forthe reception of the pin 9 for the purpose of attaching one end of thecheck to the door. This loop is designated by the numeral I0 but insteadof making the loop I0 a complete circle, as in my Patent No. 2,039,960referred to above, the end of the blank is provided with a straight runII extending tangential to the periphery of the pin 9. The extremity ofthe run Il is provided with a notch I2. Extending from the loo-p I0 isan arcuate or bowed run I3, the latter being projected through theaperture 5. 'Ihe bowed run I3 terminates in an outwardly bent runproviding a shoulder I4 and continuing from the shoulder I4 the blank isbent to provide a spring loop I5.

The spring loop I5 terminates in a shoulder I6 u from which extends asubstantially straight run I1. At the termination of the straight run I1is provided a short run IB which extends outwardly at an angle withrespect to the run I1 and ,opposed to the shoulder I6 and thus con- 3stituting another shoulder. From the shoulder I8 the blank is bent toprovide a bowed run I9, the terminal of which is lanced to provide aplu- I ality of fingers 20 and 2|. The linger 20 extends into the notchI2 and the two iingers 2I which are bent outwardly engage the loop I 0to prevent the end of the finger 20 from projecting through the notch I2to a point where it might engage the pin 9.

The spring loop I5 normally maintains the bowed parts I3 and I9 so thatthey diverge outwardly from the loop I0. Thus when the door is beinghingedly moved with respect to the y door jamb and the runs I3`and I9are being drawn through the aperture 5, the runs I3 and I9 will engagethe side edges respectively of the aperture 5 after the door has beenmoved to a certain point and movement of the door past this point willbe resisted by the frictional contact of the runs therewith.

Movement of the door to the dotted line position. shown in Fig. 2 willcause the shoulders I4 and I6 to engage the angular wall 4 of thesocketl 3 to prevent further movement of the door. However, at the timethe shoulders I4 and I6 engage the wall 4 the check cushions thechecking action due to the straightening of the bowed runs I3 and I9;

Movement of the door from its open position to its closed position ischecked by the shoulder I8 coming in contact with the opposite surfaceof the wall 4. 'Ihis checking action is yieldable and is provided toprevent the door from swinging to its closed position as a result of arebounding action when the check functions to check the outwardmovement.

As the run I3 is initially placed under tension and it begins tostraighten from its bowed position to its straight line position theloop I rotatesv relative to the pin 9. As the tension increases the loopI0 has a tendency to unwind itself from the pin 9 with the result thatthe metal at the point where the run I3 merges into the loop I0 isstrained beyond its elastic limit and the metal becomes fatigued at thispoint.

In the present device, however, at the time the run I3 is placed undertension the run I9 is under compression with the result that the fingers2| press against the loop IIJ in a manner to prevent this unwindingtendency. By preventing the unwinding tendency the metal no longerbecomes fatigued at this point and the useful life of the check isincreased.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed it will be understood that various changes may be made withinthe scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit ofthe invention, and such changes are contemplated.

What I claim iszl. A door check comprised of a spring metal blank havinga pin receiving loop at one end, the said blank extending continuouslyfrom said loop to respectively form a bowed run, a shoulder at thetermination point of said bowed run, a spring loop portion, a runextending in the di rection of said receiving loop and connectedtherewith, and a shoulder between said last named run and said springloop portion.

2. A door check comprised of a spring metal blankvbent to provide a pinreceiving loop at one end, said blank extending from said loop toprovide a yieldable checking means and extending from said means back inthe direction of said loop, the other end of said blank having aplurality of separate fingers, one of said fingers being received in anotch in said loop, and at least one other of said ngers engaging theperiphery of said loop.

3. A door check comprised of a spring metal blank having retainerreceiving means and diverging runs extending outwardly from said means,said blank having a portion uniting the outer ends of said runs andyieldably holding them in their diverging relationship, said blank beingformed with shoulders between said runs and said yieldable portion.

4. A door check comprised of a spring metal blank having retainerreceiving means and diverging runs -extending outwardly from said means,said blank having a portion uniting the outer ends of said runs andyieldably holding them in their diverging relationship, said blank beingformed with shoulders between said runs and said yieldable portion, oneof said runs being connected to said retainer receiving means whereby itis free to move in one direction with respect thereto.

5. A door check comprised of -a spring metal blank having retainerreceiving means and diverging runs extending outwardly from said means,said blank having a portion uniting the outer ends of said runs andyieldably holding them in their diverging relationship, said blank beingformed with shoulders between said runs and said yieldable portion, oneof said runs being connected to said retainer receiving means whereby itis free to move in one direction with respect thereto, and having meansfor engaging said retainer receiving means to reinforce the same. A

6. A door check comprised of a metal blank having a loop at one end,said loop having a notch therein, said blank extending from said loop toprovide a bowed run, a shoulder, a spring portion, and a run extendingoutwardly from said spring portion, said last named run having a part`received in said notch to hold said check in assembled relation.

7. A door check comprised of a metal blank having a loop at one end,said loop having a notch therein, said blank extending from said loop toprovide a bowed run, a shoulder, a spring portion, a run extendingoutwardly from said spring portion, said last named run having a partreceived in said notch to hold said check in assembled relation, andmeans engaging said loop for restricting the movement of said part withrespect to said notch.

REX C. JACOBS.

